Bobby Ferguson has repeatedly argued that the government has already seized all of his assets.

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Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

After months of claiming he is broke, Kwame Kilpatrick’s longtime contractor friend Bobby Ferguson may have some explaining to do about a recent discovery: more than $400,000 in additional Ferguson bank accounts.

That’s how much federal agents have seized from Ferguson accounts since he and the former Detroit mayor were convicted on racketeering charges more than a month ago, according to sources familiar with the public corruption case.

The locations of the accounts were not disclosed. Sources would only say that the money found in them belonged to Ferguson — confirming federal prosecutors’ suspicions that Ferguson had access to lots of money, and therefore could not be trusted to remain free on bond.

Ferguson and Kilpatrick, who are both locked up pending formal sentencing, have asked to be released on bond, insisting they can be trusted to return to court for sentencing. They each face up to 20 years in prison, possibly more.

Ferguson has repeatedly argued that the government has already seized all of his assets. He also has agreed to forfeit nearly $500,000, a home and a riverfront condo that federal agents seized during the public corruption probe, according to court documents.

But prosecutors have convinced U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds to keep Kilpatrick and Ferguson locked up, arguing they cannot be trusted not to flee.